A JGSDF Type 12 Surface to Ship Missile System display its range of movement as part of the Orient Shield 2019 media day, Sept. 17 2019, Oyanohara Training Area (Credit: U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Kohrs, 20th PAD)

Japan’s Type 12 SSM Deployed to Keep Watch On Miyako Strait

Japan continues to reinforce its Southern Islands. A new Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile (12式地対艦誘導弾) unit has recently been deployed at the garrison on Miyakojima island.

The Miyako Strait is about 135 nautical miles wide. The Type 12 deployed in Miyakojima have a range of around 108 nautical miles. A version with double range is under consideration.

While entirely included in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Japan safe passage through the strait is authorized for merchant vessel and warships in peacetime.

A2/AD in First Island Chain

Notional example of JGSDF coastal batteries (with anti-ship missiles) defending the first island chain from Kyushu all the way South to Taiwan.

Japan has been stepping up its Anti-Access / Area Denial (A2/AD) solutions, fielding a network of anti-ship and electronic warfare systems in its Southern islands (the so-called “first island chain”). The newly created amphibious bridage of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) will also be in charge of defending these islands.

The JGSDF and the US Army conducted their first ever combined anti-ship drills in Japan last year, as part of the annual Orient Shield exercise. The exercise involved both HIMARS and Type 12 SSM. At RIMPAC 2018 exercise, the American HIMARS system conducted an anti-ship attack exercise in cooperation with the Japanese Type 12 SSM.

The US Marine Corps is also about to gain anti-ship capability: Under the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMSIS), the US Marine Corps is looking at adding more punch to the US Navy’s anti-ship capabilities with the procurement of (land based) coastal defense batteries. Three missiles are currently under consideration: Lockheed Martin’s newLong-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), Raytheon/Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile, and Boeing’s Harpoon. Companies submitted their final proposal in December 2018. The USMC is considering three wheeled platforms to launch the future anti-ship missiles, which are the M142 HIMARS, as well as the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) truck and the Logistic Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) from Oshkosh Defense. According to US sources, the USMC plans to test prototypes in the spring of 2020.

Oshkosh defense image showing an unmanned JLTV firing a rocket. The same platform will likely be used by the USMC to launch NSM anti-ship missiles. The launcher capacity appears to be 2x NSM per vehicle. This solution is set to enhance the USMC’s anti-ship capability in support of sea control and sea denial missions.

Authors

Xavier is based in Paris, France. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems and a Master of Business Administration from Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). Xavier has been covering naval defense topics for nearly a decade.